Hobbit Humans Had Larger Brains Than Estimated: Research

Jagran Josh

Apr 17, 2013 13:44 IST

Hobbit Humans, who are said to be the tiny creatures living on remote Indonesian island of Flores till around 12000 years ago, had larger brains than thought, as per the recent research conducted by National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo. This research also strengthened the fact that hobbits evolved from the ancestors Homo erectus.

Homo erectus, are said to have evolved into our species in Africa. The study revealed that environment as well as location could have created the difference between the individual who looked similar to us, and someone who looked familiar to hobbit.

The Hobbit Humans were extremely short in height (3’6”) and they had relatively shorter legs in comparison to their feet and arms.

Kaifu, a senior researcher at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo who conducted the study along with lead author Daisuke Kubo and Reiko Kono, made use of high-resolution micro-CT scanning in order to study about the brain regions of hobbit human skulls. In the scans, it was found out that the brains measured 426 cc in comparison to estimated 400 cc. 426 cc is just around the same size like the brain of a chimpanzee.

However, this study indicated that the difference meant it was possible for the Homo erectus to have evolved from the brains like these. The researchers indicated towards the fact that Homo erectus who lived on the mainland, moved to the isolated islands of Flores. The unique evolution of the Hobbits suggested that once they got on the island, they did not move out. The researchers explained that according to the theory, big mammals decrease and small mammals increase in their body sizes on the isolated island due to energetic demands.

Dean Falk, the team of whom estimated that Hobbit’s brain were smaller, explained that the new measurements were the most precise ones available till date. This is so because these measurements were done with great care and improved and advanced methods.

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